Nose cones are attached to fan hubs of gas turbine engines. The nose cone is positioned upstream of the fan hub and provides an aerodynamic covering over the fan hub. In addition to providing an aerodynamic flow path that directs the inlet airflow smoothly through the fan, the nose cone also serves to protect against hail, bird strikes, and other possible impact damage.
Typically, nose cones are attached to the fan hub via bolted joints, with the long axis of the bolt oriented axially or at an angle (forming a conic joint) to the engine centerline. In some prior art designs, an aerodynamic fairing surrounds part of the nose cone and the bolted joints to prevent any aerodynamic disturbance that may be caused from the air flowing over the bolted joints. Axially and conically attached nose cones generally require an axial flange for attachment to the fan hub. While effective, prior art axial flange designs often involve complicated geometries, which increase time production and manufacturing costs. A radially attached nose cone, however, is of a less complex geometry and is more efficiently produced.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a nose cone, having an aft support ring, capable of radial attachment to a fan hub of a gas turbine engine.